The protest is against the current local government system, put in place last year, which aims to mimic the set-up of Parliament by putting members of the controlling party in the driving seat when deciding local issues.

With a large borough council such as Waverley this means that despite the Conservatives’ gaining only a minimal margin over the Lib Dems at the last local election, they fill all the controlling positions at council. This, the Lib Dems claim, has lead to a “complete breakdown of the decision-making process”, which they say renders them unable to represent the people who voted for them.

A statement issued by the Lib Dem group this week said: “Over the years we have attempted to work with the Conservative administration, to achieve a democratic Waverley Borough Council, which would allow alternative points of view and constructive public debate.

“This has proved impossible to sustain and local democracy in the council remains at its lowest point ever.”

Currently the Conservatives have all the positions on the Executive, which is the only decision-making committee that now exists.

It is their alleged behaviour during these meetings that the Lib Dems have taken exception to – claiming they are excluded from debates, not given a right of reply, and misrepresented when they are allowed to speak.

They have also claimed that all debates that do take place between Conservative members are pre-planned in secret – an allegation denied by the Tories.

Councillor Chris Slyfield, the leader of the Lib Dem group, said: “In order to make the public aware that we do not have a platform for constructive opposition we intend to withdraw from attendance at the Executive meetings.

“In the present political climate when the Liberal Democrats have only raised a question the Conservatives accuse them of talking rubbish.”

But although Councillor David Harmer, the leader of the council, agreed the system is far from perfect, he denied that the Conservative councillors go out of their way to make it difficult for other parties to be involved.

He said: “The fact is that the Conservatives are not particularly enamoured with the current system but it is statutory and we are stuck with it.

“I don’t accept that this is not democratic, but I do believe that the democratic opportunities are not being exercised.”

Cllr Harmer pointed out that a Lib Dem councillor chairs each of the committees that scrutinise council policy. And while the Lib Dems claim that they cannot make any decisions, only observations, Cllr Harmer argues that 90% of these are taken on board.

Cllr Harmer also denied that council members not on the Executive were made to sit in silence throughout the meetings, and rejected suggestions that everything was sewn up beforehand.

He added: “Before they made this decision I was planning to write to Cllr Slyfield with suggestions as to how they can improve their workings within the system. I still plan to do this but we will have to wait and see if they take up my suggestions.”